Honoring Our Parents

In a special way, my three sisters and I honored our parents on Saturday by gathering in a reunion of the Springers. Actually it was the next generation who did all the work of planning, organizing, and inviting this year and that was really nice! The grandchildren of Corwin and Clara have taken it upon themselves to take turns hosting the annual reunion. It is really a blessing to watch your children take on the passion of gathering with their cousins - because they want to!

It was truly heart-warming to watch the families get reacquainted and share laughter and memories across the picnic tables. I believe Mama and Daddy were smiling from heaven if they watched the events of the day. They would be pleased to see that we continue to meet in their honor during their birthdays month. It is a tribute to their passion of gathering the family for a meal at the farm. Each of the grandchildren have their own special memory of receiving love when they visited the farm. Many will tell you their favorite food that Grandma served them around the kitchen table or they will share a story of something they did with Grandpa outside.

Many of the stories revolve around the farm and the huge four-story farmhouse. The children often played upstairs while the adults visited around the big walnut table. Or they had adventures exploring the farm. The old barn, the sheds filled with old machinery, the animals' quarters, and the big hill for sledding. Best of all was the creek, so perfect for summer wading. There were team sports of cleaning the sheep shed, chopping wood and filling the basement coal room, or making small bales of hay and filling the barn with it. Battles of croquet, kickball, softball, football, and horseshoes ensued in the barnyard. The enormous attic was always a place to explore when it wasn't too hot or too cold.

The great-grandchildren don't have memories of the Springer farm or the family heads and very few carry on the Springer name but hopefully with the annual gathering with their cousins they will receive a seed of the traditions and the love they are built on.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"- which is the first commandment with a promise-- "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth," (Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV).

Lord Jesus, thank you for families. Amen.